This Newly Renovated Luxury Resort Is A Great Reason To Visit Sardinia Soon

Still shopping for a European holiday? If bella Italia beckons (and when doesn’t it?), Sardinia’s iconic Abi d’Oru Hotel & Spa reopened its doors on May 27, revealing a sparkling renovation just in time for summer sojourns.

Located on Marinella beach in Porto Rotondo, a quick 30-minute drive south of Porto Cervo, the family-owned, five-star resort now showcases 50 newly refurbished rooms–many with sea views–as well as a brand-new swimming pool and solarium, along with an updated kids club.

Since its opening in 1963, the resort has paid tribute to the island’s rich culture—an enduring ode that manifests in the renovation, which fuses Sardinia’s history and traditions with exquisite Italian design and a nod to sustainability. The new guestrooms include seven specialty suites and junior suites dedicated to prominent figures in Sardinian history, thoughtfully designed to showcase their legacies.

The top-floor Grazia Signature Suite, for example—named for Nobel Prize-winning Sardinian author, Grazia Deledda–features her renowned novels, as well as two sea-view bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a large terrace offering spectacular vistas of the Gulf of Marinella. Signature Suite guests also enjoy exclusive benefits like reserved water’s-edge sun loungers and a special a la carte breakfast menu.

The renovation also showcases the work of local artisans to create an authentic Sardinian experience–including carpets, tapestries, and fabrics from the Demelas brothers of the Mariantonia Urru company in Samugheo, a central Sardinian town renowned for its centuries-old textiles craft heritage, and handcrafted interior doors adorned with typical Sardinian rosettes by Cagliari’s Mariano Ceccatelli. Sardinian Orosei marble–arguably the island’s most sought-after export–was used to update the bedroom, bathroom, and terrace floors, while all hand-painted ceramics were sourced from Siniscola—celebrated for its pottery—in the island’s northeast.

The new swimming pool recreates a tropical garden oasis, surrounded by palm trees and greenery indigenous to the island. The resort has planted more than 5,000 new shrubs–all native flora including myrtle, strawberry trees, and mastic–in the last three years as part of its ambitious sustainability strategy, which also includes Breeam In-Use Certification.

Sardinia’s singular reputation for wellness comes to life at the Abi Spa. Its new Longevity Treatment celebrates the island’s coveted distinction as the first-ever declared Blue Zone, one of five areas globally recognized for having the highest proportion of population that live to be 100 years old. (Sardinia’s Barbagia region—mountainous highlands in the island’s interior–boasts the world’s highest concentration of male centenarians.)

The unique treatment incorporates the island’s renowned Cannonau grapes–which contain three times more anti-aging polyphenols than others–to provide powerful antioxidant protection and visibly firmer, younger looking skin while boosting collagen production. The spa uses honey from its own beehives in treatments as well (Abi d’Oru, the hotel’s name since day one, means “golden bee” in the Sardinian dialect).

Disney’s recently released The Little Mermaid was filmed in Sardinia–and guests can take a boat trip right from the resort’s beach to tour the picturesque locations featured in the movie. There’s even a “mermaiding” class for kids and adults, who can enjoy mermaid-themed mocktail (or cocktail) following these unique mermaiding experiences. Other outings include sailing, snorkeling, and dolphin tours in the crystalline Gulf of Marinella, as well as visits to local wineries and farms. The resort’s “Bee Happy” Kids Club, playground, and small water park keep little ones entertained for hours, while adults can enjoy the property’s three restaurants and three bars, one of the richest gourmet offerings on the Sardinian coast.

The final phase of the property’s $22 million renovation is slated to wrap up by summer 2024.

With Abi d’Oru Hotel & Spa and other resorts luring visitors to the island’s unspoiled shores and Italy forecast to break all tourism record in 2023, this year may even end up topping Sardinia’s banner year in 2022, when visitor arrivals surpassed six million between January and September.